Eyes As Distant As The Stars Reflected In Them
by VixenReborn
Summary: Zukaang week prompt Warmth: Space was many things; Warm wasn't on of them. AU, In case you didn't guess.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar, I just wanted to play with the characters a little bit. **

**A/N: Zukaang week prompt: Warmth. Very AU**

**I can say, I'm really proud of this. I want greatly to do more for this, but further plot is currently eluding me. So it's a one shot. Though I may write more about this Universe in the future. **

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Aang blinked a couple times trying to clear the sleep from his eyes. Silver eyes locked on the flickering light across the room. His clock had reset itself and flashed a large block style twelve. He sighed; so much for figuring out what time it was. He pulled the covers off himself and sat up. Tattooed feet touched the cold metal floor and Aang shivered, the last dregs of sleepiness washing away from him as he left his bunk.

The silence in the corridors told him that it was probably still too early to be awake. His nerves felt raw from having been awake at such hours for the third day in a row. If this kept up much longer, he knew he would have to go to the med center and have Katara check him out. That was one appointment he didn't want to make.

His bare feet made a soft thump against the metal with each step he took. A mild echo reverberated throughout the ship. It would be far too quiet to notice, except for by one comrade, who was snoring away in the bunk he just passed. He passed the rest as he made his way to the control room. The room was already occupied, but Aang could no longer feel surprised.

Every night that he had trouble sleeping he had come here. Checking the ships gauges and watching its progress always seemed to soothe him. Three nights ago though, he had realized he wasn't the only one. He had walked in to take the pilot's seat only to find the co-pilot's already filled. The second night he had been a bit shocked, but not really surprised. This night he felt neither and had actually found himself half hoping he might be there.

Zuko turned as Aang pulled the control room's door closed. He gave the small captain a weary smile.

"How is Appa doing?" Aang asked as he sat in the pilot's chair.

"I know most people name their ships, but I don't think I'll ever adjust to the way you treat yours like a friend," the self-exiled prince replied.

"That's, because you never got to see most of us Nomads in action. From an early age we are taught to build our ship and how to care and love for it. If you take care of your ship, it will take care of you. Appa is my buddy," Aang explained.

"My uncle used to tell me how the Nomads had the latest in technology. Even now, a hundred years later, your ship still seems more advanced than most I've seen," Zuko admitted.

Aang beamed at him. He patted the control panel carefully and said, "You hear that buddy? You're one of the best!"

Zuko shook his head and turned to face the front. It wasn't fast enough for Aang to miss the smile that filled the prince's face.

Aang checked various readouts across the monitors, making a correction here and there. Aang knew that the best part of his ship was its near-perfect self-correcting capabilities. It didn't require most of the constant baby sitting that other ships needed. Appa was the last of his kind. The technology was lost with the last of the Nomads. He knew how to repair many things but, there were certain parts on the ship that even he didn't know how to rebuild or simulate if anything happened to them. In Aang's eyes it made Appa that much more living and precious.

The cold, endless ocean of stars reflected in golden eyes. Aang watched the hard look on Zuko's face. His posture was rigid and his eyes as distant as the stars in them. A frown marred his face, making his brows furrow together.

"You have a lot of stars in your eyes, but which one is in your thoughts?" Aang asked.

"Ember," Zuko answered shortly.

"If its too hard to go to your families' old vacation spot, we can always pick a different planet to hide on."

Zuko shook himself and turned to Aang saying, "No. I suggested it. It really is the perfect place to hide. No one would think to look for us there. Its just got a lot of memories."

Aang nodded.

When they had hid at the Temple planet Western it had brought a lot of old ghosts to mind. He had tried hard to take Katara's words to heart. He deeply wanted to believe that his forced cryo-sleep had a reason. He knew that night he had left selfishly with Appa. If it wasn't for that, he might not have crashed landed on an underdeveloped planet where the only solution was cryo-sleep till someone came along to aid him. One hundred long years he had slept.

In that time the Fire Nation had grown to the edge of their galaxy and decided to keep expanding. They waged war with every surrounding galaxy; a war that crossed the cosmos.

They imprisoned as many of the Earth Kingdom planets as they could. The various planets had all stood together to protect their recently fallen capital planet, Ba Sing Se. It had never been defeated before, but it was amazing what spies on the inside could accomplish. They stood as the biggest threat to the Fire Nation, even with a lost capital.

The Fire Nation waged a constant war against Water Community planets. A series of frozen planets whose vast amounts of tundra was made up for by the warmhearted people who lived there. Their tribes were filled with warriors who made it their duty to try and be as much of a thorn in the Fire Nation's side as they could. Their people were beginning to vanish.

The Nomads were not so lucky. Their technology had been envied and their ways too peaceful. It was a complete genocide. Every Temple planet now stood empty, with only ghosts to keep them company.

"You know, it's not your fault."

Aang jumped. He turned to face Zuko, whom was starring at him worriedly.

"How did you know what I was thinking about?" He asked sheepishly.

"Whenever you're thinking about it, your face gives you away," Zuko answered.

"I could have done something if I was there," Aang said quietly.

"We've been over this before. It doesn't matter if your the anomaly that some call the Avatar, there was nothing you could have done. Stop blaming yourself. If you really need someone to blame, you can blame me. I'm much more at fault then you."

Aang was speechless. He didn't know where to start about how wrong he found Zuko's statement. He almost wanted to laugh. He knew from the serious look on Zuko's face it wasn't a joke though.

"Its fine to go to Ember. I want to do something for everyone," Zuko's face softened, "I want to do something for you."

"Your wrong!" Aang finally managed to say and jumped out of his chair.

Zuko looked taken back by Aang's outburst.

"Your not to blame for something that happened long before you were born! I was at least around. I could have used the elements to save some of them, even if it wasn't all of them. Even if it was only one person it would have made a difference!"

Aang could tell Zuko wanted to say something, but kept rushing on, not giving him a chance.

"You can't sit there and say that you have done nothing for us! You left your galaxy and threw everything away to come and help me. You helped me escape before. You even saved my ship from the fallen Earth capital."

Zuko was up and pulling Aang into an embrace before the boy had a chance to register what was happening. The prince had one arm wrapped around Aang's waist while the other wound it way up his back so that Zuko's hand rested on the back of Aang's head. Aang could feel Zuko's warm breath on his ear.

"It's not enough. My father sent me on a wild goose chase to find a rare genetic anomaly that can wield all four elements. I cursed you without ever knowing you. I hated a nameless, faceless person, that I later gave your's. I can't just be forgiven," Zuko whispered.

Aang could feel Zuko's grip tighten on him. His back arched and he rose to stand on the tips of his feet. His body was pulled flush against Zuko's. Pressed against him, he couldn't help soaking in Zuko's body heat.

As fast as the hug began, it ended. Zuko released him and stormed from the room, closing the door behind him. Aang's wobbling legs finally gave way as the door latched shut. His knees and butt found cold metal.

It had gotten late enough that people would be getting up at any time now. If he went after Zuko now, it would only create trouble. Aang knew it would have to wait till the next morning. He pulled himself into the captain's chair. He sat thinking on how warm Zuko's embrace had been. In the cold of space, you took whatever warmth you could get.

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Footnote: I humbly ask that you please take a moment to review and let me know what you thought. Please include any questions or comments. I want greatly to improve my writing and all feedback helps.


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